Tool for removing valves



July`24, 1923. l

J. B. MORRIS TOOL FOR REMOVING -VALVES Filed July s, 1922 Jmes Marani/6,

Patented `liily' Z4, 1923.v

UNITED STATES PATENT oFEicE.

JAMES B. MORRIS, 0E NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

TOOL FOR REMOVING VALVES.

Application filed July 3, 1922. Serial No. 572,646.

To all whom ,i2/Amay concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. MoRnIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, county of Davidson, and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tools for Remov-y ing Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de.

scription of the invention,- such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it f appertains to make and use' the same;

stem and compressed between the spring.

cup and the valve casing to resiliently retain the valve upon its seat; To remove the valve, the nut7 key or other'retaining element must first be removed or withdrawn,

after which the valve with its extending stem, freed from the spring, is lifted from the casing. This, however, is ordinarily a difiicult operation, due to the fact that the spring on the valve stem is iii strong compression against the nut, keyA or other re taining element through the bearing of 'the spring cup thereomand there is no support on the structure of the engine or associated parts handy as al fulcrum forthe application of a lever to compress the spring toward the valve casing and away from the retaining elementi The difficulty of the operation is more over often greatly increased due to mecha nisms or structures with which the engine is associated preventing ready access to the valve parts; This is particularly so in the case of internal combustion engines installed in motor vehicles, some structural part of 'the vehicle or associated mechanism in many instances being positioned so close to the valve parts of the engine as to allow insufli cient room for the manipulation of the customary .type of spring compressing tool having aflever or other hand Operating part extending in fixed position from the frame of the tool and requiring aninvariable path of movement. y v

An object of the present invention is to provide a tool or device for readily and rapidly performing the operation referred to of compressing the valve spring so as to y permit the easy removal of the retaining element from the stein of the valve vand the removal of the valve from its casing.

Another obJect of the invention is the pros vision of a tool of this character which ishand operated in compressingfthe spring` but is automatic in action to sustain the spring' in any desired degree ofxcompression Still another objectof the invention is the provision of sucha tool havinghandoperated parts adjustable in position andpath of movement relative to the body or frame of the tool so asto enabley the operator to accommodate the tool tothe work ing space about the valve partsand to the angle of approach necessary to gain work` ing access thereto.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a tool adapted for use xupon l valves of all sizes and of alljlengths and y diameters of valve stems.

The novel tool orfapparatus forL removing the valve comprises, broadly stated, a frames.

like structure of suitable conformation to encompass the valve casing and lvalve parts and having 'two imovable-engaging parts,` one movable, in adjusting'thegtool to `its working position, into engagement with'tlic .l

head ofthe valve land the other engaging the valve .spring and movable toward thavalve head in compressing the spring.

Handles for the manual movement -ofthese f partsare provided, adjustable to varying angular positions relative ito the frame of the tool, so as' to enable` the operator torac-v commodate himself to theA working; space about the valve parts. These handles are desirably, cooperatively arranged in 'such manner asto adapt themy in the' fvarious angular positions referred to to be gripped togetherby the hand ofthe operator to move the springfeng'aging element of the tool in a direction lcompressing the spring.

These features provide `not onlya morev ready working access to they tool in-places otherwise diiiicult to reach but'greater-f'speed HNI of operation 'since they enable a sufficient'.

:force t9 be applied by the hand. the 919i" erator to move the .valve engaging parts without the employment of levers, screws and like devices which not only increase the powerapplied at the expense of speed of operation, but also make for increased complexity of structure, and which in addie tion require substantial space for their op- MyA invention also contemplates the employment 'of means for releasably maintaining the parts of the tool in spring-compressing position, Without manual exertion for thisv purpose.

The principles of my invention will appear from the. detailed description hereafter given of a preferred formA of apparatus or tool. It is to be understood, however, that ysuch preferred embodiment is merely illustrative of my invention, and that within the broad scope of the invention are included other specific constructions capable of functioning in accordance with its prin-k ciples.l

ln the accompanying drawings, which 1llustrate a preferred embodiment of the in' Fig. S'isa plan view of the spring-en,f:,rag4

ing part of the tool; f

'Fig 4 is a partial plan view, diagrammatic in character, showing an internal combustion engine `mounted. upon a motor vehicle, and showing in section the dashboard of the vehicle in close proximity to one of the engine-valves.

The internal combustion engine is indicated generally by the numeral 10, having a valve casing 1l with the usual type of poppet valve 12 seated therein, the valve having a stem 13 protruding below the 'valve casing. rl`he valve is resiliently retained upon its seat 1n the customary manner by a coiled spring 14 surrounding the valve stem, and under compression between aspring cup 15 and a wall of the valve casing 11, spring cup 15 being mounted loosely upon the valve stem and bearing against a retaining key or pin 16.

Inthe illustrative embodiment of my invention, a generally Ueshaped bar is employedproviding two arms 17 and 18 extending at substantially right angles from a connecting portion 19, the whole forming a frame which may be positioned'to encompass the valve `casing and the valve and with the arms extending -in Vparallel laligrnnent in the same plane, in the position of the parts as show-'n in Fig. 1, above the valvehead and below the valve stem.

The arm 18 is bifurcated, as shown )articularly in Fig. 3, to rovide two resi ient prongs: 2Ol and 21, a justably saaced by means of the screw 22, to adapt tie tool to valve stems of varying diameters. VAs shown in side elevation in Figs. l and 2, the lower faces of the prongs are curved or inclined upwardly from Jlie lower line of the arm 18 to the ends of the prongs, thus providing lsharpened terminal'sfand an inclined face for the insertion of the prongs between the valve key 16 and spring cup 15.

The upper` arm 17 terminates in a hub 23 in'which a sleeve 24 is rotatably journaled, said sleeve having upper and lowerfl'anges 25 cooperating with the opposite flat faces of said hub to provide a swivel-mounting of said sleeve in said hub. ,A cylindrical bar 'or rod 26 is 'freely mounted in said sleeve 24 for longitudinal and rotary movement with respect thereto. Said rod is adapted inv its downward longitudinal movement te, e`ngage the head of the valve,as shown in Fig. 2, the lower end of the rod being preferably pointed as shown to be centered in the conical cavity usually present in the valve head. A series ofv notches 27 are cut in the kcylindrical surface of the rod'26, to form a series of ratchet teeth extending longitudinally of the rod throughout the major portion of its length and with each tooth extending but a short distance measured circumferentially of the rod. A pawl 28 is pivotally mounted upon th'esleeve 24, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, having a .tooth`29 movable through a slot 29 in the sleeve into lateral engagement with the rod 26. A spring 30 attached to the underside ofthe handle 31 of the pawl and bearing against the sleeve 24 tends to maintain said tooth in contact with said rod, the tooth being withdrawn from Said contact by pressure exerted uponi the handle 31, as will be obvious. v

The sleeve 24 is provided at its upper eX- tremity with a handle 32,` aiiixed to said sleeve and extending substantially at right angles thereto,- and the rod 26 is likewise provided with a handle 33, the rod being preferably bent, as shown, to form the handle referred to.

With the'arrangem'ent of parts referred to, it is to be observed that the sleeve 24 and rod 26 arerotatable each independently or the other and both relative to the bar or frame 17-18-19; also that the rod 26 and the bar 17418-19 "are each reciprocable relative to the other. It is further to be observed that the arelative rotative movements of the sleeve and rod may be made use of to engage and disengage the pawl on the sleeve from the ratchet on the rod, the tooth on the pawl traveling circumferentially of the nie,

rod in such relative rotational movements. Fig. 1 shows a relative angular position of the rod and sleeve engaging the tooth of the pawl upon the smooth surface of the rod and out of engagement with the ratchet portion. Fig. 2 shows a relative angular position of the rod and sleeve engaging the pawl with the ratchet. The handles 32 and 33 are so positioned on the sleeve and rod respectively as to extend in the same direction in alignment when the pawl on the sleeve is in engagement with the ratchet on the rod. A swing of the handles to alignment in opposite directions disengages the pawl from the ratchet, and the ratchet teeth may obviously be made of such width extending circumferentially of the rod as to cause such disengagement by a less angular movementA of the parts. In the illustrative embodiment the ratchet teeth are made of such circumferential extent as to cause disengagement of the pawl therewith by a ninety-degree turn of these handles relative to one another, as indicated in Fig. 1.

As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the ratchet teeth and the tooth of the pawl are so cut, each with one straight and one beveled face, as to permit, with the pawl in engagement with the ratchet, unrestrained movement of the rod toward the lower arm 13 of the U- shaped bar and hence toward the valve head, the pawl in such movement of the rod `riding over the beveled face of each tooth. As the bar 17-18-19 is also bodily movable longitudinally of the rod 26, the arrangement of ratchet and pawl referred tolikewise permits unrestrained movement of the bar upwardly of the rod, as the parts are viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, and hence a movement of the spring engaging forks 2021 toward the valve head in spring compressing direction. Movement of these parts in the opposite direct-ion, that is of the rod 26 upwardly away from the valve head and of the s ring-compressing forks 20-21 downward y in co1npression-relieving direction, is restrained by engagement of the pawl and ratchet, with their straight faces cooperating, until the pawl is released either by manipulatiton of the pawl handle 31 or by relative rotationof thel sleeve and rod handles 32 and 33.

ln the use of the tool, valve-engaging yrod 26 is drawn outwardly of the frame 17-18-19 to a sutlicient extent to present the tool with an opening between the arm 18 and the inner end of the rod 26 wide enough to encompass the valve casing and the valve parts. tioned to advance the forks 20-21 between the valve key and the spring cup, and the arm 17 is positioned to present the valve en-` gaging rod in alignment with the valve head. The handles 32 and 33 are then rotated to present that angular position with respect to the engine or its associated structures per- The arm 18 is then posi` mittin the most ready manipulation ofthe tool. lViththe handles in alignment in the desired angular position, the rod 26 may by means ofthe handle 33 be pushed into cngagement with the valve head, the pawl riding over the ratchet teeth in this movement of the rod, as already stated. Or, the sleeve handle 32 and the rod handle 33 maybe angularly positioned relative to each other to entirely free the pawl from the ratchet and the rod pushed in smooth Sliding contact with the tooth of the pawl into engagement with the valve head. f

The position of the parts inthus applying the tool yis shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2,- shows in full lines the position of the tool in working position, with the rod 26 in engagement with the valve head and the forks 20, 21 inserted between theLvalve key and the spring cup, and the handles 32, 33` in alignment. It is particularly to be observed that when the tool is thus applied in working position, the handles 32, 33 not only extendy in alignment vin the. same direction but are so juxtaposed that they can be gripped together by the hand of the operator for relative movement bodily in approaching direction. In such relative movement obviously the handle A32 moves toward thehandle 33, since the valve rod 26 is restrained from movement by its abutment upon the valve head.r` Such movement of the handle 432 also obviously `carries alongvthe bar,17-18.19and with the spring-engaging part 20-21` `moving kin a spring-compressing direction. With the parts positioned asviewed in Fig. 2, the bar or frame bearing the spring engaging partsl is lifted along the valve engaging rod, the

pawl and ratchet cooperating to prevent a return movement or drop in spring-releasing direction, and 'permitting a step by step lift which enables the spring compressing opera.l tion to be performed with a minimum of effort and at the same time with greater speed than is possible by levers orlifting screws.

Fig. 2 shows in dotted line the position of the tool and its parts with the spring compressed away from the valve key. f i

After the spring has thus been liftedaway from the valve key by theV lifting bar 17--18-19 andthat key removed, the lifting bar may be gradually and easily lowered by gripping the handles 32, 33 with one hand and pressing the pawl handle 31 with the otherin such a manner as to produce, a step by step release of thelpawl and ratchet; The spring compression having been entirely.4 released, the tool is easily: removed by a sidewise movement thereof. l

My novel apparatus or tool,'as will; now be obvious, possesses the -advantage of ca pability of operation in asmall space about the valve parts to be engaged and by manual operat-ion from various angles of ap preach. These features are of rpractical ini-` por'tance in vmany 'situations ofuse oi valvedash-boardI -`of the vehicle positioned v so closely adjacent the valve 36 "as lto p-revent the 'use of valve-lifting tools having operating handles, `for example, extending toivard or requiring a `path oi movement Vtoward the" dash-board referred to. In the 'use of my novel tool, however, as :there illustrated, not only may the toolb'eapplied tothe valve vvit'h the main ba'r or `iframe 17-18-19'directed away fromthe dashboard, but the operating handlesmay` be rotated about that bar or frameto positions presenting more ready access thereto and a freefpath of movement.

In the foregoing description, reference has been made to the use oi the tool in removing valves from internal combustion engines 'ot the L-head Vtype in which the'va'lve casing is disposed laterally of the cylinder, and the drawings show'such an engine. As hereinbefore statecl,"hov*ever, the concrete embodiment and eXampl'e'of use of the novel tool are merely'illustrative and'n'ot restrictive of 'the invention.

What I claim is:

l. ln a 'valve-releasing 'to^ol, a b-ar, a spring-'engaging memberfmounted thereon, mechanism cooperating With said bar lto move 'said spring-engaging member longitudinally of "the stem 'of said valve, said mechanism having 'handle-parts for itsV manual operation adjustable :to varying angles with respect to said bar and'adapted 'for complete voperation 'of vsaid mechanism in any ofsaid positions of angular adjustment.' y y In' a valve-'releasing tool, a. bar, having apart adaptedto engagev thespring of the valve for'compressinglthe same, mechanism cooperating with said bar tomove the saniein *a direction 'compressing said spring, said.mechanisml 'having handle-parts for its manual op'eration adjustable tok varying angles with respect to said bar and capabley ot complete operation of said :mechanism in any| of said positions of vangular adjustment.

3; In "a valve-releasing tool, a 'bar having a part adapted to engage under the spring of the valve Jfor compressing the same, lifting mechanism'cooperating with said bar to move the same in a direction 'compressing said spring', said 'lifting mechanism having a handle for its manual operation adjustable to varying'angles With respect to said bar, said lifting mechanism being designed for complete operation by movement of said handle in any of said positions of angular adjustment. n j

4. In a valve-releasing tool, a bar, a spring Vengaging member mounted thereon, mechanism cooperating With said bar to movesaid spring-engaging member in a direction compressing said spring, said mechanism having tivo handle-parts movable `in approaching direction and adapted to be gripped by the hand of the operator for manual operation of said mechanism, 'said handle parts being mounted Yfor adjustment to varying angles with respect tosaid bar.

5. ln 'a valve-releasing tool, a frame adapted Ito encompass the valve, members mounted 'on said'frame and each movable relative tothe other in opposite directions, one to engage a valve head and the other toA engage and compress the spring of said valve, and handles operatively associated' with said members, adjustable to varying angular positions with respect to said frame and adapted to be moved intovpositions enabling the operator to grip both handles together to move one of' said members ina direction compressing said spring.

6. ln 'a valve-releasing tool, a rigid trame adapted to encompass the valve, a ybar mounted on said frame for movement of said bar and frame each relative to the other, said bar adapted to engage the head. of said valve, said frame having a part adapted to engage under'the spring of said valve, and handles upon said-bar and said frame adapted to be gripped for relative movement to move said frame in a direction compressingrr said spring.

'7. ln a valve-releasing tool, a frame adapted to encompass said valve, a bar Amounted on said frame for movement ot said bar and frame each relative to the other. said bar adapted to engage the head of said valve, a member mounted on said frame adapted to engage under the spring of said valve, a handle mounted upon said bar and upon said frame respectively extending in parallel planes and each rotatable in said planes to varying angular positions relative to said frame and said valve parts, said handles being adapted to be gripped for relative movement in approaching direction to move said frame in a direction com-. pressing said spring. a

8. In a valve-releasing tool, a frame U- shaped to provide arms encompassing the valve When the tool is applied in Working position, a rod slidabl-y mounted in one of said arms and adapted to extend into engagementwith the head of said valve, the other of said arms having a part adapted to engage under the'spring of said valve,

lUS

lill) tiret-mentioned arm respectively and adapted to be gripped for relative movement to move said Jframe in a direction compressing said spring.

9. ln a valve-releasing tool, a 'frame having tivo arms encompassing the valve when the tool is applied in Working position, a-

cylindrical bar slidably and rotatably mounted through one of said arms and adapted to extend by sliding movement through said arm into engagement With the head of said Valve, said bar having a ratchet extending longitudinally thereof but of less extent eircumterentially than the surface of said bar, a spring-pressed pawl on said arm adapted to engage said ratchet, a handle on said bar adapted to rotate said bar to engage or disengage said patvl from said ratchet and to move said bar longitudinally into engagement With said valve head, the other of said arms having a part adapted to engage under the spring oi said valve, and a handle on said frame operable to move said frame along said bar.

l0. In a valve-releasing tool, a frame U- shaped to provide arms encompassing the valvewhen the tool is applied in Working position, a sleeve swivel-mounted in one of said arms, a cylindrical bar slidably and rotatably mounted through said sleeve and adapted to extend into engagement with the head of said valve, said bar having a ratchet face extendingl longitudinally thereof but of less extent circumterentially than the surface of said bar, a spring-pressed pavvl mounted on said sleeve and adapted in one angular position of said sleeve and bar to engage said ratchet, the other of said arms having a part adapted to engage under 'the spring of said valve to compress said spring by movement of-said arm toward the head of said valve, and handles rigidly mounted p upon said sleeve and said bar, said p avvl and ratchet being cooperatively arranged to permit movement of said frame in a direction compressing said spring andy lto prevent movement of said :trame in a direction releasing said compression.

l1. In a valve-releasing tool, a frame having tvvo arms encompassing the valve When the tool is applied in Working position, a sleeve swivel-mounted in one of said arms, a cylindrical bar slidably and rotatablv` mounted through saidV sleeve and adaptedv to be moved. longitudinally into engagement With the head of saidvalve,

said bar having a ratchet extending longitudinally thereof but of less vextent circumerentially than the surface of said bar, a spring-pressed pavvl mounted on said'sleeve and adapted in one angular position of said sleeve and bar to engage said ratchet,

handles one on said bar and one. on lsaid sleeve relatively arranged to be moved into and out of alignment in relatively rotating said bar and sleeve to bring said ratchet and pavvl into andout of engaging relation,

the other of said arms having a part adapted to engage Linder the spring of .said valve 'to compress said spring by movement of said frame vrelative to said bar, said handles being adapted in said positions of alignment to. be gripped together by the hand of the loperator to impart movement to said frame compressing said spring. s y

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. i

JAMES B.'A ivionaiss 

